Our guest on this week’s Menu Talk is Ahu Hettema, chef-owner of Istanbul Hawai’i restaurant in Honolulu. 

Chef Hettema came to California to study art and psychology but was unable to return to her homeland of Turkey because of a string of immigration snafus. She visited Hawaii and fell in love with the culture and climate, which reminded her of Southeast Turkey.

Chef Ahu Hettema and her mother run the kitchen at Istanbul Hawai'i. 

Cooking was a way to ease her homesickness and connect with people, and she began making Turkish food to sell at local farmers markets, alongside her mother who moved to the U.S. Soon, a catering business was born and eventually the mother-daughter team opened Istanbul Hawai’i—the only Turkish restaurant in the Islands.

The restaurant’s seasonal menu reflects the food of the Ottoman Empire, modernized with chef Hettema’s artistic touches. She works with local farmers to source ingredients and infuse the cuisine with Hawaiian spirit. A shareable Sultan’s Table menu offers a spread that includes winter salata, mercimek soup, mezze spread, sourdough pide, safran pilav, pirzolas, lamb tenderloin sis, wagyu ribeye sis, Jidori chicken sis, baba’s köfte, cultured yogurt tzatziki and seasonal vegetables. At $265, there’s plenty of food for three or four diners to share. 

Istanbul Hawai’i has built a large following among locals and tourists for its warm hospitality and unique cuisine. Listen as Hettema shares her culinary journey and passion for food, family and culture.